Oscar nominee has previously worked with director Andy Muschietti.

Stephen King adaptation It has been one of the year's biggest hits, and it was just one half of a story set to continue in 2019 with It: Chapter Two. The film will follow the children of the first movie into adulthood as they reunite to take on terrifying killer clown Pennywise again.

Fans have eagerly debated who would be the best choices to play the protagonists as adults, and among the names that keeps popping up to play a grown-up version of Sophia Lillis's Beverly Marsh is Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain.

Pennywise will return as It: Chapter Two gets a release date

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Chastain has now expressed an interest in taking on the role, telling ScreenRant she would love to work with director Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti again.

"Well, I love Andy and Barbara. I worked with them on Andy's directorial debut, you know, his film, Mama. His first film. And you know, Barbara is one of my best friends so... We'll see," the star said.

"Listen, of course, I want to work... they're my friends. They're like my family. Anything that they're doing I want to be a part of, so I hope we can make it happen."

Chastain was naturally linked to the role - as was Amy Adams - because the character is a red-head, but of course she's a tremendously talented actor as well, and seems the perfect fit to continue Beverly's dark story as it gets even darker in the sequel.

In Chapter Two, which will adapt the second half of King's classic coming-of-age horror, audiences will find the Loser's Club as adults who have grown apart and forgotten the terrors they witnessed when they fought Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard).

When Pennywise resurfaces, they meet up again in their hometown of Derry to attempt to kill the interdimensional being once and for all.

Released in September, It has made more than $670m at the worldwide box office, making it the highest-grossing horror film of all time despite its typically restrictive R-rating (15 in the UK).

Given the popularity of the film's young cast, they will appear in the sequel as well, in flashbacks helping flesh out the story.

"On the second movie, that dialogue between timelines will be more present," Mushchietti told Entertainment Weekly. "If we're telling the story of adults, we are going to have flashbacks that take us back to the '80s and inform the story in the present day."

Barbara Muschietti added: "The hope is we'll find the best way soon, because it's also important for Andy to get flashbacks with the kids, who are growing very fast. They are an important component in the next film."